Fit Life

4 Beach Body Friendly Cocktails

April 4, 2013

Now that the coldest days of the winter are behind us (thank goodness!) and spring break is here, you might be starting to think about getting into your bathing suit. If so, you’re not alone. After all, who doesn’t want to look svelte on the beach or at the pool? Our clients are hard at work eating healthfully and exercising, but they tell us that they aren’t willing to give up their cocktails, especially while enjoying a much-deserved vacation. They frequently come to us requesting lightened-up varieties of their favorite cocktails.

We often start by reminding our clients that some alcoholic drinks can set you back as much as 600 calories for one drink. Of course, as you may have guessed, many people often drink more than one beverage in a sitting. While it’s always best to enjoy alcoholic beverages in moderation—if at all—the good news is that there are many ways to slash calories while still enjoying the classic beverages many of us associate with springtime getaways.

Check out these lightened-up beverages that will save you some serious calories and keep you feeling confident in your swimsuit when you hit the beach.

Piña Colada

An 8-ounce piña colada can set you back 650 calories, thanks to the calorie-loaded rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice. Just two ounces of rum has 130 calories while 2 ounces of coconut cream has a whopping 190 calories and 20 grams of fat. This drink may be a serious belt-tightener, but it continues to be a favorite.

To Make it Beach-body Friendly

The slim-down secret for this drink is to ditch the coconut cream and get the coconut flavor elsewhere. Here’s a delish, slimmed down version that comes in at 140 calories, giving you a 510-calorie savings from the traditional recipe!

Ingredients

1½ ounces coconut-flavored rum

2 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces sparkling water

2 ounces coconut water

Directions: Pour ingredients over ice and stir.

Strawberry Daiquiri

Your typical frozen daiquiri made with strawberry schnapps, rum, sugar, lime and strawberries will set you back more than 220 calories. And if you use a pre-made mix or fruit juice, the calories can skyrocket even more. Not ours! It’s got 140 calories—and 2 grams of fiber thanks to the strawberries!

To Make it Beach-body Friendly

The secret to keeping this light is to avoid pre-made mixes and to use sugar-free strawberry drink mix instead of juice—the mix is ultra-low in calories and adds a lot of sweetness without all the sugar included in the traditional daiquiri. Also, thawing the strawberries before blending sweetens it, too. Our clients love the whipped topping as the finishing touch.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sugar-free strawberry powdered drink mix

1½ ounces rum

½ cup frozen strawberries, slightly thawed

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fat-free whipped topping, optional

1 cup crushed ice

Directions: Add powdered drink mix into 4 ounces of cold water and stir until completely dissolved. Pour all ingredients in blender and blend until slushy.

Margarita

Margaritas rank amongst the worst high-calorie drink offenders, setting you back as much as 850 calories. But you can start the calorie-saving spring break celebration now because our 120-calorie frozen, festive slushy will save you 630 calories!

Use diet or light juices and substitute almond extract for the crème d’amande.

Ingredients

Ice cubes

2 ounces diet or light orange juice

1½ ounces white rum

1 ounces diet or light pineapple juice

1 ounces light plum juice

½ ounce triple sec

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Directions: Fill a glass with ice and pour in all ingredients. Enjoy!

Looking for some non-alcoholic beverages to quench your thirst? Check out these healthy recipes!

By The Nutrition TwinsThe Nutrition Twins

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse (“Lyssie”) Lakatos, The Nutrition Twins®, share a passion to teach people how to eat healthfully and exercise so they'll have energy to live happy lives. The twins have been featured as nutrition experts on Good Morning America, Discovery Health, Fox News, NBC, Bravo, CBS, The Learning Channel, FitTV, Oxygen Network, and Fox & Friends. They co-wrote The Nutrition Twins Veggie Cure: Expert Advice and Tantalizing Recipes for Health, Energy and Beauty, The Secret to Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat and the 4-Week Plan to Drop A Size & Get Healthier with Simple Low Sodium Swaps. The twins are both ACE Certified Personal Trainers, and members of the American Dietetic Association and several Dietetic Practice Groups.

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